Why The New Proposed FAA Guidelines Expand Opportunity for the Drone Industry

New year, new proposed FAA guidelines.

Last week, the Department of Transportation announced a new set of proposed rules allowing Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) to fly at nighttime and over people without waivers. At DroneBase, we believe that this is a sensible first step that will continue to allow for scaling drone operations, innovation, and technology, while ensuring safety.

With over 1,200 daylight waivers for night operations issued thus far, there has not been a single accident or incident reported. Safety is and has always been a top priority when it comes to drone operations. These proposed rules will help shape the continued innovation of manufacturers, like our partner DJI, while also developing safer UAS technology.

Opening up the skies at night and over people will further benefit the drone industry and the customers that we serve across real estate, insurance, property management, construction, and telecom. For example, the ability to fly at night will allow for more companies to scale thermal flights, which are often flown at dusk or night to better show heat signatures. Our customers will be able to develop new use cases to advance their businesses.

While these proposed guidelines will go to public comment before they go into effect, we look forward to helping shape these future rules and regulations, and working with our partners to develop new commercial applications.